Luis Suarez could once again be left out of the starting line-up when Barcelona host Leganes in their next La Liga 2019-20 fixture on Tuesday. Suarez, who returned from a knee injury, started on the bench in Barcelona’s 4-0 win over Mallorca with Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann and Martin Braithwaite starting as the front trio in the club’s first match after a hiatus of three months. Suarez came off the bench for Griezmann in the 57th minute and even recorded an assist in the 30-odd minutes that he played. Barcelona Announces 23-Member Squad for Game Against Leganes, La Liga 2019-20 (See List).

But according to Barcelona coach Quique Setien, the Uruguayan could still be left on the bench for the Leganes clash, talking to reporters via a virtual pre-match press conference, Setien said he has still not deiced if Suarez was ready to return to the starting line-up suggesting that he could with the same trio that started in the Mallorca win. Lionel Messi Scripts New La Liga Record As Barcelona Trump Mallorca 4–0 in First Match Since Season Restart.

“I’ve not decided if Luis Suarez will start tomorrow, I have to talk to him,” Setien told reporters. “We have to be very cautious, it’s normal to have muscular injuries after a long injury layoff.” Suarez, who has scored 11 goals this term was initially set to miss the remainder of the 2019-20 season after undergoing keyhole surgery on his right knee in January. But with the coronavirus pandemic halting the season for three months, the 33-year-old has recovered and could still play a role in deciding the club’s fate.

Setien also dumped the idea that Suarez could start instead of Griezmann, who has failed to contribute in attacks for major part of the season. “Griezmann will continue to play a leading role, he is an important player,” said the Barcelona gaffer. “He has played almost every game. It’s true that there are more players now and the minutes will have to be shared…Except in very specific cases due to their hierarchy, I don’t consider players to be starters or substitutes. I want everyone to participate… Any player can be on the pitch from the beginning,” he added.

The former Real Betis manager also said that players will be rotated as the season enters an important moment and fixtures crunch could lead to player fatigue. “The idea is to make changes and there will be changes as the games go by,” he said. “We will see how fatigue affects the players. My job is to try and get them all to the end of the season in the best condition so that the performance is not affected by the minutes.”

Barcelona currently lead the La Liga points table and are two clear of the next best-placed Real Madrid after 28 matches. And with only 10 games to go, Setien warned that there was no room for error in the title race. “I don’t know what factor will be the most decisive in La Liga,” the 61-year-old added. “What we have to do is win. It’s going to be a fight in which we both know that losing is unacceptable.”

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 16, 2020 08:52 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).